Four Years Ago...
"Master?"
Ruby woke up in her bed, groaning as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.
In her homely cabin that she and her teacher, Lady Oyakata lived in, she looked around and sensed something off. It must've been in the middle of the night as crickets and frogs sung around her. The sounds would usually be comforting...but not this time.
The magic lanterns that filled the corners of her room did not emit the warmth she was used to. As if to prove something wasn't right, the flames were dim and flickering, as if struggling to stay alive.
Her heart similarly felt restless like those flames and the need to go to her master rose in her mind. Even though it was wrong to disturb her in the middle of the night, she never hesitated to comfort her.
As embarrassing as it was, she needed comfort. So sliding out of her bed, she exited her room and took this feeling of urgency with her.
She passed the small living room with evidence of the fireplace used and crept silently, turning her head and looking around with wariness as the chilliness she was feeling grew bigger. Even though they were in a log cabin, it should've been well insulated.
Yet, something didn't feel right.
She noticed her teacher's study door slightly ajar, so her feet tippy-toed upwards as she tried to peek into the door opening of her master's study.
Unfortunately, her teacher was nowhere to be seen.
Ruby's feeling of uneasiness quickly turned to worry, but she took a deep breath and tried to keep cool. Even though she was a child, she had to be brave; otherwise, no magic or training could help her.
A small wind blew, tickling the back of her hair. She snapped her neck towards the partly open front door. Then, a light relief filled her as she wondered if her teacher had simply gone out for the night.
"Master, are you out there?" she called out softly.
Intending to find her in their large flower field, she approached the front door but stopped. She gasped as thick root grew from the ground, blocking the exit before she could react.
Ruby was stunned, and it took her a moment before recognizing the growth as the result of her master's power. Lady Oyakata was definitely out there since she was the only one who could overgrow roots in the Earth like this. Still, she couldn't understand why she was preventing her from coming out.
Her heart beats faster as she felt something else outside accompanied by heavy footsteps thundering on the ground. She tried to pull the roots away, her worry for her teacher overcoming her.
"W-why is the door being blocked? Master? Master?!"
As she struggled to remove the roots, one of them extended out and gently pushed her back. She recognized the gesture and realized that her master intended to keep her locked inside.
The fear she felt crept up further in her throat, then she heard a voice.
"I smell a child..."
Something was unsettling as the voice didn't seem to come from her master as it was full of malicious intent. More worried for her master, she looked for a crack between the logs of their home to observe.
Sure enough, she found one close to the entrance and crouched down to peek through with one eye. Upon seeing two figures, she gasped.
Lady Oyakata stood firm, several meters away from their cabin with her brown robes and braided hazelnut hair flowing against the wind. In her hand was her trusted staff that glowed yellow, emitting an aura that resembled rings of the sun.
In the dark, it was a literal magical sight. Along with it, Ruby always felt warmth and awe when her master demonstrated the flowing of mana.
This time though, it didn't feel warm because the figure facing her gave off a feeling of cold and darkness far more than what her master could emanate.
It stood like a human, except it was anything but. With its eyes glowing red in the dark, it let out an eager growl from its yellow, beak-like mouth. It had this strange segmented green body with black spots all over it.
Ruby thought she could also see a pair of wings, but the more noticeable feature would've been its long tail that wiggled in delight as it approached her master, each step heavier than the last.
Four years ago, Ruby didn't know the name of this creature, but it was clear to many now that this was Cell in his imperfect form.
"You'll not come any further! If you want another city, head to the East but do not bother me!" the hundred-year-old witch shouted.
The bug-like creature stopped its footsteps and let out a shivering, amused growl.
"So you're aware of my deeds? I'm flattered. Also acting like you're alone...how funny."
Ruby felt her lungs grow heavy, and her hands shook in response to Cell's detection of her. She didn't know why, but she could sense the danger that the creature was imposing. Clearly, it's enough that her master felt she shouldn't come out.
'But I...I have to help somehow,' she thought but was unable to look away since her body remained heavy. She could only hope that her master would be able to either defeat or deter the sentient creature and that this worry she was feeling was for nothing.
"There is little point attacking us then," Oyakata urged, no longer hiding the fact that she has her apprentice behind her in the cabin. A tear of sweat flows against the back of her neck as she held her staff tightly.
"I don't know what you are," she continued, "...but I can tell you're trying to hide from others. It wouldn't be wise trying to face me if you don't want to attract attention."
"I wonder about that..." Cell breathed, his beak splitting into a smile, "...you've got a good eye, but I can tell you also hold more power than the cities I've cleaned. It would be a waste to leave when I can absorb you."
His tail slammed against the ground as if to show his eagerness. It also indicated that there was little room to convince the imperfect creature to leave.
At the point, Oyakata grimaced and knew trying to convince the monster was useless. She mirrored the creature by slamming her staff against the ground and making the first move.
"Fine."
Cell let out a raspy breath. Beneath his feet, the grass shined, and particles of light floated up from the ground.
He observed carefully.
It was only a moment before he concluded that the witch could not hurt him. Taking a step forward, he ignored the spread of energy around him.
He was forced to stop when multiple shrieks echoed. With the rustling of the tall grass, he let out an amused growl, then thirty plant creatures with fly-trap maws leaped out to attack him.
In nature, the carnivorous fly traps may have the upper hand on insects, but this is not the case for Cell, who laughed gleefully at the poor attempt to subdue him.
Turning around, he swung his arm, smashing together several creatures that were inches away from biting him. They split open and green blood to oozes into the air as they let out dying screeches.
The rest of the plant creatures tried attacking him from below, but none of them were able to inflict any damage as he dodged with ease and broke them apart, one by one, all while creeping closer to their commander.
Oyakata saw that her plant monsters would be no match, and it seemed they would hardly slow him down at the rate of control she could manage. Her teeth clenched as she thought of what she could do.
There weren't any immediate spells that would do good short-term, and anything that she could conjure that might have a chance would require time and preparation that she had none of.
Oyakata didn't really like humans, so their disappearance did not concern her. Only now did it occur to her that she should have fled with Ruby the moment she felt others lost. The same humans and cities that she disliked overwhelming the nature of the world had become food and power for this creature...and it was clearly worse.
She closed her eyes, her thoughts for her apprentice, and then her eyes open with resolution. She knew her fate, and so she could only buy time and send a signal for him. As much as she hated the thought, there was no other way.
Spreading her arms wide, the master witch yelled out as she channeled mana, her voice reverberating across the area. The staff in hand glowed the brightest Ruby ever saw as she looked on in awe, nearly forgetting about her worries as she sees her master going all out.
Then, a beam of light struck the dark sky from her staff.
Cell flinched, the light bright enough to make him shield his eyes with his arm, but blinding him was never the purpose as he soon heard rumbling beneath his feet while the light slowly faded out.
The entire land resounded for a few seconds and Cell steadied himself, an excited glint in his eyes as he awaited a better challenge than some plant monsters.
Oyakata stood motionless and glared at the biological monster before her. She was deeply frustrated because the land she worked hard to build would be soon eaten up by the Earth.
There was little choice given the enemy she had to face on such short notice.
Following the vibrations, the ground roared as roots and branches bigger than city buildings rose up with incredible speed, splitting the area and collapsing most of the land in a series of patches. Only the cabin and her position remained steady as Oyakata focused on control of the growth.
Ruby stumbled and gasped as her body fell backward from the vibrations, but she quickly hurried to get back into position to witness her master's efforts. She never expected to see just how much control her master had over their land.
Dirt blew in all directions as the thick roots moved to overwhelm Cell; however, he was able to fly up before the roots and branches could envelop him and looked down at earthly tentacles with a smirk.
The roots continue to follow him, but he let it chase him as he rose higher into the air. Pointed sharply at him as it grew up, it kept up a few meters behind him as it tried weaving its way around his flight pattern.
For a few minutes, it became a game of tag. Cell leisurely maintained speed around the plains, dodging splitting branches and surprise ground attacks. There was hardly any effort on his part as he glanced at the master witch's position, waiting for an opening between the roots. While he knew he could try forcing his way in, he wasn't planning on testing the roots.
So, he baited his time and did not even have to wait long as the witch could only maintain control for so long. After a few minutes, the roots became noticeably slower to follow him. Seeing this, he smirked and found an opening where it was easy to tell the toll of manifesting these Earthly roots based on her tired, struggling expression.
Cell arched, speeding towards her and slipping in between two roots that tried to spiral around him.
Seeing the monster had gotten past her defenses, Oyakata reacted quickly and lifted her staff. A bubble of energy surrounded her while Cell's tail pointed at her as he flew in a straight line, intending to pierce her through.
More roots sprouted out of the ground on her command between herself and Cell, but the green creature harrumphed and extended one hand out, no longer willing to allow himself to be chased anymore. While he didn't want to waste any energy as that might give hints to Piccolo and the others, he also couldn't spend forever with this witch.
A large energy blast fired out from his green palm, disintegrating the roots on impact and clearing a path for him. The whole area became bright from his energy blast as it bloated outward. While keeping his momentum, one would be able to see his silhouette slicing through his own half-circle of energy while any remaining flowers were disintegrated in the background.
Oyakata maintained her position with her energy shield protecting her from any remnants of the blast, but she could not avoid Cell's approach anymore.
With a stretch of his stinger, Cell let out a cackle as he finally hit his prey, breaking through her energy shield with brute force and speed. Her own shadow quivered from the impact.
It all happened within seconds, too fast for Ruby to follow, but she could not mistake the outline of the monster piercing her teacher. Her eyes widen with horror, and she slowly shook her head, fearing the worst.
"Master Oyakata!" Ruby screamed, unable to stop her voice from calling out.
Cell relished the feeling as he heard the little girl in the cabin despair and couldn't wait to have her next. Although she couldn't be nearly as good as a meal as her master would provide, it would still give him enough additional boost in his quest to grow his strength.
However, as the light from his energy blast faded, he felt something wrong. His stringer should be starting its suctioning of her flesh and blood, but instead, it felt like he was drinking at a dry well.
As some of the energy light faded, his eyes widened as the witch before he had completely turned into a wooden replica, growing up from the ground as part of the underlying roots.
Yet, she was only delaying the inevitable as he felt the witch behind him by a few meters, breathing hard as she supported herself using her staff. She stared at him with gritted teeth.
He purred, impressed by her versatility. The only shame is that now she wouldn't give him all the energy if she had conserved herself more. Perhaps he should have ended things more quickly.
Still, Cell wasn't going to regret it. She would be more than enough compared to those insignificant humans in various cities and villages. Plus, a struggling prey who could put some resistance was much better than a weak one who could only run away and scream.
"You're at your limit, woman," he called out, sensing the decrease in energy around the field and the fact that the roots that were following him had stopped, remaining still as towering figures in the distance.
Oyakata let out a pained laugh, filled with disgust. "No shit, you monster."
Cell snorted, admiring her acceptance of the situation. With the lack of resistance, he slowly stepped towards the woman with his stinger ready, but unlike with the rest of his prey, he allowed the tip of his tail to open up wide.
Yes, he was going to consume her whole body. Sucking people's energy and flesh from the inside out was indeed faster, but he was going to make an exception for her. While absorbing a person whole would allow him to reap the full benefit of a person's life force, it was a slower process and not without risk if the witch had more tricks up her sleeve. Despite that, he was eager to try out consuming someone whole for the first time, and she was a worthy prey.
"You'll have the privilege of becoming part of something great. When I achieve my perfect form, you'll be a contributing factor along with my siblings," he declared cackling.
Oyakata didn't know what he meant and could barely move given how much she had to exhaust herself. She now had nothing left except to end her life, but she hesitated. It pained her that her apprentice, a daughter to her was watching this. Rather than struggle, she used the remaining time to look towards the cabin.
She knew her apprentice was watching and she smiled warmly, then whispering...
"Live."
Ruby flinched, tears streaming in her eyes as she watched Cell through her peek hole descending his tail over her master's smiling face. There was little resistance as she saw her being swallowed and pulled into the monster's tail who in turn, shivers and growled as he felt his prey traveling down.
Ruby finally moved her body as she screamed, her heart beating frantically.
"NO!"
She ran in desperation back to the front door. The roots on the front door were somehow maintaining their hold but weakening. That meant her master was still alive and further meant she couldn't waste any more time.
With her expression full of panic and tears, Ruby had no time to grab her staff. Her heart pulsed with fervor and tried to pry the roots, but it stubbornly stuck even as it was growing darker.
Her master was still trying to stop her from coming out. Why?
"I won't let you die!" she cried as her body rocked.
Magical energy began to pour into her body. For just a moment, she remembered a time when she observed crows in the field. She wasn't able to familiarize herself with them as her master could, but she knew she also wanted to eventually transform into one and fly free; travel the world just like they could.
There was something hauntingly beautiful about crows. Compared to more colorful birds, their appeal may be limited, but Ruby saw first hand how intelligent these creatures were compared to other birds.
It felt like they could be relied on.
With Ruby's mind in a state of desperation, she could barely register the pain going through her as wings began extending out her back and ripping through her clothes. The shifting of her bone structure was felt, yet all that pain was numb in her restlessness.
All she thought was to free herself and her master. With her lack of experience, the mana she subconsciously ordered only ended up transforming her into her desired form partially...
...but it was enough.
Strength filled her as she exploded, her wings slicing through the door, and her master's roots in an instant. The strange wings she grew turned out to be an abnormal mutation but one that would give Ruby the weapon she needed.
As Cell finished pulling Oyakata into his body, he noticed the small rise of energy from the cabin. He turned his head to look with interest.
A cloud of dirt blew forward from the front door as he saw the young witch speeding towards him, hovering in the air with sudden black wings. As the feathers shimmered against the moonlight, she roared with tears trailing behind her.
Like an extension of her body, Ruby brought down one of her wings by his neck, angling it like a blade.
Cell harrumphed and brought up his arm, blocking her attack to the side. There was a surprising heaviness he didn't expect from a pair of wings but despite the strange constitution, he didn't waste time as he followed up, grabbing the edge of her attack.
Ruby gasped as she was pulled by her wingspan, then slammed her into the ground with enough force that caused small fractures against the ground.
Her small body bounced a little and then some blood was forced out as she felt the impact crush some of her internals.
Cell grinned as he watched her body quiver in pain but her eyes maintained tearful anger as she forced herself to remain conscious, looking at the monster above her with hate.
"A feisty one, aren't you? Do you want to see your master?" he asked.
Ruby couldn't speak and tried to ignore the damage to her body by getting up, but it wouldn't listen to her anymore. She groaned, then weakly cried out in frustration.
Cell felt her master break down inside of him. She was practically dead now but with the absorption, he decided to perform one last play.
"Ruby?"
The young witch gasped, her anger momentarily disappearing as she hears her teacher's soothing voice from Cell.
"M-master?"
Cell grinned. "Yes, Ruby...it's alright. Join me inside and we can be together. He won't hurt us."
"B-but..."
"Come...child..."
Cell drew closer and opened the end of his tail, intending to finish the pair of witches together...
...and then a high-pitch frequency hit him.
The ruined flower field turned silent and Cell winced, the sound particularly distracting. He backed away and before he attempted to search for the source, a voice shouted, echoing into the distance of the ruined land.
"Sixth Seal!"
In the air, Cell widened his eyes to see the air around him rippling like it was being heated. Then, a small tear in space appeared before him with a pink swirling view inside.
Cell could hardly believe his eyes, having nothing to recall in his aggregated knowledge about this phenomenon.
His reaction proved to backfire on him and he noticed three more rips in space grow plus a magic circle floating above him. He attempted to jump away, but it was too late.
Four chains erupted from the tears in space and slung around him, forcing him to the ground. With his tail and arms restrained so suddenly, Cell roared and began to break apart what he thought were simple metal links.
They were anything but normal and surprised at the resistance he felt, he knew he could not hide his own internal energy any longer. His aura flared and body bulged as the chains tightened around him more.
Ruby watched, her pupils going blank. She didn't know what was going on, but as she could no longer remain conscious as her body was going through shock.
"Master..." she weakly croaked, her hand quivering as she tried to reach out to the restrained monster.
She then felt herself be picked up and heard a deep male voice.
"We must hurry. This won't keep him for long."
Ruby's vision blurred and all she could see is someone wearing a white robe with his face hidden. Despite the darkness of his hood, there was a sense of anxiety from his voice.
Her eyes slowly closed as she lost strength. Meanwhile, Cell's focused roar faded in her ears, cursing the spellcaster who disappears from the scene with her along.
A dampened pecking noise slowly stirs Ruby along with the sounds of chirping birds. Her eyes open softly to the rays of light coming through her window, highlighting small particles of dust above.
Lying in her bed with one hand on her forehead, she slowly lifts her chin to see her familiar crow tapping at her window behind her post. She frowns then plants both hands into her face, slowly pulling downwards while groaning.
"I'm still dreaming about that time," she mutters to herself, now thinking about Cell and the state of the world.
It's bitter because she hates being reminded of it, but she isn't as emotionally disturbed now because the world has found its peace again.
After that monster's defeat, the dragon balls were gathered and a mass revival occurred, allowing many people's loved ones to return, Oyakata included.
It's been four years since then and Ruby turned sixteen this year. To some, an adult, and to others, still a child. For her, it's just been too long.
She doesn't necessarily feel tormented by the memories of losing her first teacher even though it is painful to relive it. Her bigger problem is that she's still frustrated by the reminder that as a witch, she still has more to overcome.
With a sigh, she looks around her room with just her eyes, appreciating the same wooden and Earthly walls she had slept within ever since her master took her in.
This is her home, far from any city or village, and surrounded by nature that she has taken comfort in. Yet after Oyakata revived, she has lived alone in it without her for the past three years. Perhaps being reluctant in leaving this cabin is the reason why she's still experiencing nightmares.
Yet her home comes with happy memories too; the only ones she's known ever since she lost her parents. Anything else beyond bad is unknown and she didn't want to risk losing what little she had left.
Still, she knows that it can't continue. Her master has moved on and changed drastically, so she must try as well. She can still remember her master's surprising declaration to her three years ago:
"I want to try living in society once more, Ruby. I'm sure many things have changed, so I need to reevaluate myself and the life around me. Will you give it a chance too?"
For the hundred-year-old witch who looks no more than in her thirties, it was refreshing even. Somehow living in the other world had changed her perspective on Earth and human nature.
Was it meeting the good or evil?
Ruby doesn't know the answer and her master has refused to tell her like it doesn't matter. Of course, she wants to believe her master spent her time in Heaven.
While she was initially hesitant in following her into society, she did promise to try. The only issue was she could not do so immediately.
Oyakata found a job in Satan city and started as a chemistry teacher, yet Ruby had a lot to catch up with. So the young witch had to live the past three years in this land with her master's financial support. Every now and then, her teacher would pop in to check on her.
For the most part, it's just her, and she couldn't deny it was lonely.
She did the best she could to live by herself: repairing damage to the flower field where she could, flying to cram school to catch up in the years of learning she neglected, and finally, trying to find time to build up her magic between studies.
Of course, there is also Mikogami, her second master that might appear at any moment, much like yesterday when he needed her assistance. As annoying as it might be, she feels obligated to help him as he is as much of a teacher as her master is. Plus, she also wants to be aware of the hidden threats of the world.
This demon threat concerns her, and yesterday was her first time seeing one in the flesh. While she doesn't want to ignore it, she knows Mikogami will come to her if he ever needs her. Otherwise, she isn't sure how to draw out demons...or if she can even properly face one.
Of course, she would still help him without question. He saved her life...
...and also nearly killed her in "Paradise" but Ruby decides against thinking about the months he trained her after he took her in during the threat of Cell.
That aside, she feels more comfortable having her moments talking to other people during cram school. It's not like she has made many friends, but she feels growing confidence every day about engaging with other people. Then at home, she also has her familiar to keep her company.
Speaking of...
"Caw!"
The crow at the window yells impatiently and Ruby forces herself to get off her bed with a deep sigh, her thoughts closing off for now.
"Alright, alright...," she groans.
Stepping on the floor of her cabin, she opens her window and the bird hops in, ready to deliver an important message.
"Caw, Caw!"
Ruby freezes. "Eh?"
"Caw!"
The witch's eyes widen, then she looks to a calendar she had put on her wall, one of the many things she brought while going to cram school. When the day of the month occurs to her, she places her hands on her head and screams.
Today is the first day she's expected to transfer into Orange Star High School, an arrangement from her master who'd be replacing their retiring director after being an apparently popular chemistry teacher. She knows everything she had been studying for the past three years comes to this. How would it look if her dear student comes late?
"I forgot! Oh god, what's the time?!"
"Caw..."
The crow appears sad and disappointed.
As Ruby quickly moves to grab clothes and get ready, she answers the bird in a hurry who watches with its head shaking.
"I know you've reminded me before! It's just...many, many things happ-"
"Caw! Caw!"
The crow doesn't let her finish and hops a few times, even more upset.
Ruby stammers a bit before defending herself. "I-it's not a catchphrase or an excuse, I swear! I really mean it! I've been busy helping Mr. Mikogami, then fitting in cram school to prepare, and..."
The crow let out a weak croak as if it were sighing while the witch rambles on. "Caw..."
It then raises its head and hops one time, shouting louder. "CAW!"
Ruby stops with her newly gathered clothes in hand, then blinks. "Oh, right...magic."
Dropping her clothes for a moment, she stretches out her hand. On her desk filled with sheets of various math problems and other subjects, her spellbook is hidden among the mess. It glows purple as it levitates out and opens by itself, flipping its pages.
Ruby closes her eyes, then focuses on herself and the clothes lying near her feet. The mana she gathers around her starts to turn her small room a shade pink. With the build-up, she glows brighter with only an outline to define her form and curves.
The clothes she brought levitates, turning bright and less defined. With a focus on reconstitution, it blends in with her body, and finally, the whole room shines for the final time in a flash of light.
This all occurs in a matter of seconds as the room dims to its prior light levels, and Ruby stands, her old clothes floating in a ball above her hand while the new clothes that she would be wearing for school delicately flow as the wind picks up through her window.
Normally, she wears gothic-style clothing as a matter of preference but she knows that will attract too much attention. In fact, she was forced to buy a more appropriate attire after receiving stares from her fellow classmates in cram school.
Suffice to say, most people avoided her in cram school.
She twirls as she looks down at herself, satisfied by her black skirt that goes down to her knees along with a white and grey plaid buttoned shirt tucked neatly in. The Orange Star High School badge was clipped to the side of her skirt as she heard that it doesn't matter where it is located as long as it can be seen.
Along with the reconstitution, she feels refreshed and clean, so naturally, the biggest time is saved there.
"How do I look?" she asks the crow with a grin.
"Caw."
Ruby smile falters. She grows slightly red and her eyes twitch. Under her breath, she curses her familiar.
"Stupid bird."
Perhaps actually going to school and making real friends is just what she needs because her familiar is no friend.
She'll just have to try harder to fit in this time. No repeating mistakes made in cram school.
"It'll be okay, Ruby...it'll be okay. Just don't be late," she tells herself, extending a hand and ordering a magic broom to fly to her.
'It'll okay, Gohan...just act normal,' Gohan thought in his head, breathing as the wind brushes through his black, naturally upright hair.
The son of Goku and the one who defeated Cell four years ago is also sixteen years old. He sports a red pair of pants and a tucked-in white undershirt covered by an open black jumper. These clothes gently flutter with the wind passing through him as he sits comfortably on his Nimbus cloud given to him by his father.
Today would be his first day in a public school as he's finally transferring away from his home studies. It's both an exciting and nervous prospect.
He was isolated for most of his life so being able to break away from the confines of his home would be a breath of fresh air. That said, he knows he needs to be careful since drawing attention to himself is likely not a good idea. Luckily, nobody should know about him given Mr. Satan took the credit from him and his father for Cell's defeat.
The half-saiyan holds no issues with this steal of credit despite some gripes made by his friends like Krillin. All he needs to do is not be late for class and not look out of place. If he brought any unnecessary attention, his mother would kill him.
He smiles as he reassures himself while the Nimbus cloud underneath his crossed legs continues to transport him with great speed towards Orange City...no actually, Satan City if he recalls that it was recently renamed.
Things appear to be going well for him, at least in terms of time, but then he sees a noticeable dot in his direction.
His eyes squint and the dot becomes bigger and more defined as he approaches. It couldn't be a bird given how large it is but he wouldn't need to guess much longer. His eyes widen as he finally recognizes it as another person flying in the sky.
No, more specifically, it's a person on a broom!
"Wait, slow down Nimbus!" Gohan orders and the fluffy cloud obeys, lowering its speed as it approaches the unknown entity.
It's at this point that Ruby can hear someone coming behind her with the sound of high-pitched rumbling. At first, she tenses up but feeling no malicious intent, she only turns her head back and equally widens her eyes with surprise.
"Who the-Is that a cloud?!"
"Caw, caw!"
The crow perched on her shoulder also reacts, flapping its wings.
The witch watches with a mixture of confusion and awe as she confirms the approaching figure as a boy sitting on top of a yellow cloud. The boy carries a similar expression on his face, not expecting to find a woman on a broom.
Upon flying side by side, the two stare at each other with a blank expression for a few seconds. Many thoughts cross their minds as they absorb the sight of each other.
When Ruby notices the familiar Orange Star School badge on his shirt, she gasps and points at him.
"You're a student too?"
Gohan's eyes scan her clothes and notice that she's sporting a similar badge as well by the skirt. He couldn't believe the chances of encountering another classmate in the sky.
He gulps, wondering if he should be worried now that he's being somewhat exposed...except, what about her?
Regardless, he answers hesitantly. "Um...yes! I'm transferring for the first time, you see."
Ruby raises her eyebrows and then her face brightens as she suddenly leans closer to him, causing him a slight panic.
"Me too! What are the chances of meeting like this, huh?"
Seeing such a bright expression, Gohan feels his heart calming a little. Although strange, it seems this girl doesn't pose any trouble.
Still, he doesn't know if he should feel relieved so quickly, but he does relax a little and chuckles earnestly.
"I guess pretty high, right?"
Whether Gohan intended it or not, Ruby catches the play on words. She suddenly holds her breath and lets out a suppressed laugh off to the side before returning her attention to the half-saiyan with a small tear in her eye.
"I guess so," she laughs heartily before introducing herself, "I'm Ruby! What's your name?"
The half-saiyan hesitates, but seeing how they are heading in the same direction, he introduces himself back with a smile. In the end, there's no changing the fact that they've seen each other.
"My name's Gohan. It's nice to meet you, Ruby!"
The witch hums happily but then her curiosity takes over as her eyes focus on his cloud. While keeping her momentum forward, she circles around him in interest. In response, the half-saiyan can't help but smile wider.
"Pretty neat, huh?"
"Wow..." Ruby breathes, "...does it feel solid or...?"
"You can touch it," Gohan allows, interested in her reaction.
Ruby floats closer and attempts to touch the yellow cloud but to her surprise, her hands flow through it like it would with any other cloud.
"Huh..."
Gohan smiles dryly knowing that not everyone can feel it as solidly as he can. The Nimbus will only allow those pure of heart to ride or touch it.
Ruby looks up at him, not at all disappointed, her eyes shining brightly like a child. "This is neat! What do you do to ride it? Maybe you're channeling some energy or mana to activate it?"
Gohan raises his eyebrows. She even has the concept of energy although he hasn't heard of the term mana before, he figures it's similar.
'Just who is this girl?' he thinks.
Although he could explain the requirements and the fact that this cloud is sentient, he checks the time on his watch and frowns. He'd love to talk more, but then he'd become easily distracted, and they would both be late for class.
"Maybe we can talk about this later. I don't know if it's the same for you, but we'll be late at this pace," the half-saiyan insists.
Ruby gasps, completely forgetting while in the moment.
"Oh, of course! My master will kill me if I show up late in front of her."
Gohan's ears perks as he hears something he can't ignore. In front of her? Who is her master?
The half-saiyan clears his throat. "Er...Who is your master? Is she part of Orange Star High School as well?"
Ruby blinks and realizes that maybe the half-saiyan hadn't heard. Regardless, she gladly explains and becomes too excited.
"Yes! She's a witch, just like me. A-ah! Maybe I shouldn't have told you that though."
Gohan chuckles at her bluster but he has no intention of ratting her out. He reassures her with a smile.
"Well, I somewhat had a clue seeing you're riding on a broom," Gohan admits causing Ruby to grow a little flustered, "...but don't worry. We can keep each other's secrets, right? I don't want to look out of place and I'm sure you don't either."
"Y-yes, absolutely! I won't say a word!" Ruby agrees, memories of cram school flashing in her head.
Gohan continues pressing. "So, this master of yours is a teacher then?"
Ruby hums. "Well...she used to be a chemistry teacher, but she's moving up and replacing the director today."
Gohan's eyes widen. It seems he would be meeting her master very soon, then wonders if this is all coincidence.
Thinking on it more, he feels his stomach churning a bit and can't help worry now. Staring at the sky above, he has a sudden thought as he raises a quizzical eyebrow.
'Am I going to the right school?'